Javier Bardem Replaced by 'Volver' Actress in Drama Film

The star of 'No Country for Old Men' has reportedly been replaced by Carmen Maura in the the Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming drama 'Tetro'.

Winning an Academy Award apparently didn't help the acclaimed "No Country for Old Men" actor Javier Bardem in keeping his film role in "Tetro". According to Hollywood Reporter, the 39-year-old Spanish actor has to give up his role to a fellow Spaniard actress Carmen Maura in the Francis Ford Coppola's latest feature film project.

The actor who is rumored to be having a romantic relationship with actress Penelope Cruz apparently has to give up his character to the "Volver" actress because Coppola has done "a sex change operation" to the character. "One of the important roles in the script is a mentor and teacher to Tetro (Vincent Gallo), and I originally wrote it for a man," explained Coppola about the changes done. "As I read and reread (the script), I felt that the interaction between the two characters would be far more intriguing if they were of the opposite sex."

Further, it was noted that the filmmaker confessed that he often made changes to his script's key elements before as well as during the filming of his projects. On the contrary, however, a source close to the project claimed that the replacing was done because Bardem, who is involved in Rob Marshall 's Broadway adaptation "Nine", became unavailable to the project.

"Tetro" is a forthcoming drama film directed, produced and written by Coppola. The film that is set in Argentina will center on the competitions among an artistic Italian immigrant family. The shooting of the film has begun on Monday, March 31, in Buenos Aires.